Goodwill withdraws plan for Zeeland store

ZEELAND -- Officials at Goodwill Industries of West Michigan say they still want to build a store and drive-in drop-off center in the city, but they have pulled plans to build a new 10,640-square-foot store at a key intersection.

Goodwill withdrew its application for a special land use that would have allowed the store and drop-off center to be built on the northeast corner of Washington Avenue and State Street after it was unable to reach an agreement with the city on a development plan that met the requirements of a mixed-use zoning corridor along Washington.

"We have a significant, continuing interest in being part of the Zeeland community," Goodwill President Richard Carlson said.

City planners wanted Goodwill to construct its store along a "build-to" line, close to the street on both Washington and State, in compliance with the mixed-use district requirements adopted in 2005. But this requirement made it difficult for Goodwill to present the store in a way that would have been attractive to shoppers, Carlson said.

In addition, the Planning Commission and Goodwill weren't able to agree on where the drop-off area for donated items should be located. Goodwill wanted the drop-off area on the store's east side, visible to motorists along Washington, but commissioners wanted it on the north side, citing aesthetic concerns.

"We wanted to make sure that the drive-through was convenient for our donors," Carlson said.

Planning Commissioner and City Councilman Jim Broersma took issue with what he thought was a lack of response on Goodwill's part to concerns expressed by the city.

"They hadn't updated their plans to reflect any of our previous comments or the consultant's comments," Broersma said.

A representative from LSL Inc., a planning consulting firm that worked with the city in developing the Washington Avenue zoning district, indicated in a report last month that while a retail use was appropriate for the site, the drive-through drop-off site should be to the rear of the property.

No new plans have been presented, and Carlson did not indicate when Goodwill might present a new proposal to the city.